Sometimes you just have to break the rules. I ignored a warning sign, climbed over a barrier, then walked down a rickety staircase, avoiding gaps where boards had once been.
At the bottom, I found myself in a derelict place beneath the Minneapolis Stone Arch Bridge.
I looked up at the beautiful lines of the bridge. Built in 1883 to carry a railroad across the Mississippi, it now carries pedestrians and cyclists. I’ve mentioned it in several earlier posts, including Scenes from a Bridge.
Trash and grafitti reminded me I was not in a safe place. Abandoned clothes spilled out of a bag. A cow path disappeared into unmaintained brush. If I needed to call for help, nobody would hear me.
Underneath the Arches (Song)
I took the title for this post from a popular song in 1932 performed by the British duo, Flanagan and Allen.
Sleeping when it’s raining
Lyrics.com
And sleeping when it’s fine
Trains rattling by above
Pavement is our pillow
Without a sheet we’ll lay
Underneath the arches
We dream our dreams away
The song is about homelessness during the Great Depression. For me, the lyrics hit the wrong notes: they’re sentimental and passive; they lack any call to action.
This week, as my partner and I move into comfortable new digs with a view of Stone Arch Bridge, I can’t help thinking about the challenges of homelessness in our city. We sent a donation to Habitat for Humanity, but it feels like tokenism. Although private solutions for people who are homeless are important, we also need to refocus public policies on lifting the powerless rather than just the powerful.
I’m grateful for so much, including a strong support system, good mental and physical health, and a ladder that got me from a secure childhood home in public housing to a well-paying career.
Everybody needs a ladder. Everybody needs a home.
